Healthcare reform gets boost from hospital groups

Reporting from Washington - In the face of mounting Republican opposition to its healthcare agenda, the Obama administration received a boost Wednesday, winning a preliminary agreement with leading hospital groups to cut federal payments to the industry over the next decade.

[LonMonk]

Did Slow Joe Biden "misread" another plan? Who trusts these clowns to provide real health care reform? This is silly, just silly.

[LonMonk]

What's up with that Waxman character? He looks like the spawn of Bat Boy.

[Chris]

The Hospital Association - The Drug Companies - The Insurance Industry .... The administration is running out of groups promising unenforceable cost-savings to say they are moving ahead without making difficult choices. Next thing you know, they will be telling us they underestimated the size of the healthcare problem and promise to insure or save the insurance of 2 million American citizens - or illegal aliens that were registered to vote by ACORN.

[read it]

The real problem is Democrats don't read anything before they sign it.
They didn't read the stimulus, what makes anyone think they even can read or if they can that they would?
Democrat are now offically ililterate, well know one that votes for them can read why should we expect their politicans are any different.

[Rapier]

Why you can't trust a Democrat

"In one potentially ominous sign Wednesday, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) said House leaders would "not be bound" by an agreement with the pharmaceutical industry that was announced by the White House last month."

First they browbeat the pharmaceutical companies into playing ball with them, then they pizzz on the the deal with that typical socialist attitude of "my way or no way."

[Go Joe Biden]

Joe is the poster boy for the democrats. Is this really what you guys wanted Joe? BO stinks enough, and you add Joe to the equation? I am glad I stay healthy enough to stay out of the clutches of "medicine". Sad that I will be forced to pay for someone elses foolish mistakes. Mexico is starting to look good.

[Earnest in Evanston]

This story came hot off the Obama press release machine. Notice how there is no comment from the opposing side?

That seems to be happening a lot on this issue (see ABC's Obama healthcare infomercial and refusal to air a Republican rebuttal).

Second, the hospital groups like the other groups are simply cutting their losses in case this large sucking sound of a bill get passed.

I mean, ask yourself (the reporter didn't) WHY would the hospital groups agree to $155 billion in cuts? Why, pray tell?

Think about it, my liberal friends.

This bill s-u-c-k-s. But the Democrats control EVERYTHING!

Even the media.

[Matt]

There is no free lunch, somebody is going to pay for that $155 billions. Most likely, it will be in a form of a lower level of service for patients, and people will have to wait longer to get their treatments. Just exactly what socialized medicine will do.

[Red Blooded American]

Until the economy recovers, we have to stop spending and make cuts. It is irresponsible for the Obama administration to keep spending like druken sailors on leave and realize now is not the time for this type of spending. Money does not grow on trees. It comes from working Americans who bare the weight of all the giveaway programs.

[BDD]

Matt wrote:

There is no free lunch, somebody is going to pay for that $155 billions. Most likely, it will be in a form of a lower level of service for patients, and people will have to wait longer to get their treatments. Just exactly what socialized medicine will do.

If you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it is FREE! And just like it is now, you don't have to be LEGAL either.

[mikeW]

With 10% of the country unemployed and many more underemployed, we have a major problem with healthcare no matter if it is public or private.

I know alot of you only believe that this will raise your taxes but your taxes are being raised with our current system. Healthcare companies can eliminate people with pre-existing conditions. We end up paying for those people in the end anyways.

The current system's major flaw is that it is in the best interest of the health car companies' bottom lines to deny you service. Once you get a major illness, you are now nothing more to them then something that is decreasing profits.

[TiredOfUS]

I find it funny there is not one story in the tribune about how Mr wonderful Obama's approval ratings droping.

I am really looking forward to the next election. I learned from my past mistake

:)

[Tom]

mikeW wrote:

With 10% of the country unemployed and many more underemployed, we have a major problem with healthcare no matter if it is public or private.
I know alot of you only believe that this will raise your taxes but your taxes are being raised with our current system. Healthcare companies can eliminate people with pre-existing conditions. We end up paying for those people in the end anyways.
The current system's major flaw is that it is in the best interest of the health car companies' bottom lines to deny you service. Once you get a major illness, you are now nothing more to them then something that is decreasing profits.

At least you have the legal system to redress issues with the private insurers. Which also brings up the question as to why Torte reform isnt part of Obama's health care plan. What you going to do when the Gov't. just decides that certain procedures or illnesses are too expensive to cover.

[read it]

mikeW wrote:

With 10% of the country unemployed and many more underemployed, we have a major problem with healthcare no matter if it is public or private.
I know alot of you only believe that this will raise your taxes but your taxes are being raised with our current system. Healthcare companies can eliminate people with pre-existing conditions. We end up paying for those people in the end anyways.
The current system's major flaw is that it is in the best interest of the health car companies' bottom lines to deny you service. Once you get a major illness, you are now nothing more to them then something that is decreasing profits.

Once again showing your iliterate Democrat character. You get free health care now under medicaid or medicare. Neither is very good and lots of drugs and medical procedures are not covered or have a waiting line a mile long to receive.
Private insurance can not drop you simply because they feel like it, medicare and medicaid can drop you by legislative decree.
You really should get your facts straight. Stop reading the funnies!

[FatNSassy]

Sadly, my hopes on real reform are diminishing every time I hear how special interests want to get into the act. The war in Iraq served to benefit to private contractors who ripped off us for billions. Let us not even talk about what the bankers did. Now the health care industry wants its turn at the public trough. Already there are articles scapegoating fat people for health care costs so that the government can concentrate on more worthless and dangerous weight loss products that will only fatten pharma.

There is a movement to make a clean sweep of politicians who only serve the interests of lobbyists and special interests. Until we do this, no government program will truly serve us, but put someone's profits above all else.

[jaxon]

Additional savings would come from new incentives for hospitals to prevent patients from having to be readmitted after treatment, which experts believe could save the Medicare and Medicaid programs about $2 billion over the next decade.

This just made me laugh -- it was Medicare's drg's that sent patients home sicker and quicker in the first place. And these idiots want to mess up the entire system for the 10% who are uninsured? God help us!

[U have No Clue]

Tom wrote:

<quoted text>
At least you have the legal system to redress issues with the private insurers. Which also brings up the question as to why Torte reform isnt part of Obama's health care plan. What you going to do when the Gov't. just decides that certain procedures or illnesses are too expensive to cover.

Did Rush/Hannity/Coulter/Malkin/Be ck tell you to say that? Read the plan. It explains away this irrational fear you are trying to spread.

[yankee]

The cuts are going to be in medicaid and medicare, The goverment isnt paying them now!! It means less care for the poor and elderly.

[CDM]

Matt wrote:

There is no free lunch, somebody is going to pay for that $155 billions. Most likely, it will be in a form of a lower level of service for patients, and people will have to wait longer to get their treatments. Just exactly what socialized medicine will do.

Is that why we die younger and pay twice as much for health care than the Swedes/Canadians??

[CDM]

We need to make the bottom feeders work to make this work.